Short range wireless networks, such as Bluetooth, suffer from battery life and capacity limitations due to the ad hoc nature of Bluetooth networks. To centralize the network to improve these conditions would defeat the ad hoc nature of the short range system. Therefore, a method to utilize surrounding information to improve battery life and system (network) capacity, while maintaining the ad hoc nature of the wireless network, is needed.
Sensors are becoming more miniature and will be ubiquitous on people and inside objects over the coming years. The number and type of sensors available is expected to be very large. For example, there will be sensors for sound, video, direction, gyro, etc. The ubiquity of miniaturized sensors in conjunction with short range wireless networks will provide multiple personalized and customized capabilities for the consumer. In addition, these new combinations of sensors, sensor processing, sensor management and short range wireless networks, such as Bluetooth, can be used to improve on the ad hoc nature of the short range wireless network.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a method of using sensors, coupled with short range wireless networks, to improve battery life of wireless communication devices in a wireless network and the system capacity of the wireless network.